With Michael Carrick injured, Phil Jones a doubt with a groin problem, despite training on Tuesday, and Marouane Fellaini suspended, David Moyes has limited personnel from which to choose for such a huge game.

Ryan Giggs – who turns 40 on Friday – Tom Cleverley and Anderson remain the only recognised central midfielders definitely available to Moyes, with Darren Fletcher still not ready for a first-team return.

It amounts to a shoddy situation for a club of United's stature and bloated wealth, that they are going into a game of such significance with such an ostensibly weak clutch of midfield options.

Given his age, Giggs can no longer be expected to excel at the highest level, and he has not looked as assured as usual this season, prompting the suggestion he may finally call time on his illustrious playing career at the end of this season.

Anderson, now in his sixth year at United, has been a complete let-down since his much-vaunted move from Porto, when the Brazilian played as a No.10 and was touted as the next Ronaldinho, so much so that will be off-loaded at the end of the season, if not sooner.

(Image: Getty)

Victory against Leverkusen would secure United's passage into the last 16 of the Champions League and enable Moyes and his players to focus their attention on domestic issues, namely elbowing their way back into the title mix, where they trail leaders Arsenal by seven points.

But with such a potentially weak central midfield, against a Leverkusen side that sits second in the Bundesliga and has held league leaders and European champions Bayern Munich at home this season, as well as demolishing Shakhtar Donetsk 4-0, United will be up against in the BayArena.

Earlier this season, after Wayne Rooney served notice of his return to form with a commanding display which set the tone for the striker's impressive performances, Moyes insisted he had no intention of occasionally deploying him in central midfield, as Sir Alex Ferguson did last season.

Moyes insisted Rooney's best position was through the middle as an out-and-out striker, yet Wednesday's encounter against Leverkusen, set against the backdrop of United's depleted central midfield personnel, presents the Old Trafford boss with something of a dilemma, namely whether or not to drop his most in-form striker back into the middle of the park.

Despite his reluctance to play there regularly, Rooney has been effective when used in a deeper-lying midfield role, his sharp football brain, physicality, vision, passing range and appreciation of space all enabling him to adapt to the role with success.

Rooney's majestic cross-field pass to Robin van Persie, to score the Goal of the Season with an equally sumptuous volley in United's 3-0 title-clinching win over Aston Villa at Old Trafford last term, illustrated perfectly the England forward's ability to thrive in a deeper role.

(Image: Reuters)

But with van Persie, who missed the game at Cardiff with a groin problem and training today, not travelling to Leverkusen, Danny Welbeck having only just returned from a knee injury and Javier Hernandez poor on Sunday, Moyes may feel he needs Rooney to spearhead United's attack in Germany.

Whatever the he decides, the dearth of central midfield quality at his disposal is a collective failure that should be shared by the previous regime of Ferguson and former chief executive David Gill, as well as his successor, executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.

For central midfield has been a problem position for United for several years now. Until the £27million signing of Fellaini – who has so far been a waste of that inflated fee – the last recognised central midfielder United signed was Anderson, way back in the summer of 2007.

Attempts were made in the summer to woo a number of central midfielders, including Cesc Fabregas, Sami Khedira and Ander Herrera, while attempts were also made to woo Cristiano Ronaldo back to Old Trafford and to hijack Real Madrid's move for Gareth Bale.

But they all came to nothing, and United go into a game that could go a long way to determining their Champions League fate this season with a midfield that is likely to hold little fear for Sami Hyypia's Leverkusen side.

That is why January, when the chance to right the wrongs of the last transfer window, cannot come soon enough for United, when they will look to finally address their central midfield issue.